Ex-Intel engineer charged with aiding Al Qaeda

PORTLAND  Federal prosecutors on Monday (April 28) charged a former Intel Corp. engineer with allegedly conspiring to aid Al Qaeda and the Taliban, as part of a move to "levy war" against the United States, according to a report in the San Jose Mercury News on Tuesday (April 29).

The ex-Intel engineer, Maher "Mike" Hawash, was arrested in March and has been held by the U.S. government without charge as part of what the report called a "secret investigation."

Hawash, 38, a U.S. citizen of Arab descent, worked for Intel from 1992 to 2001, when he was laid off. He was a contractor for Intel until March, when he was arrested in the company's parking lot.

In a complaint filed yesterday in Portland, federal prosecutors charged Hawash for allegedly contributing "material support and resources" to Al Qaeda and the Taliban and to "levy war" against the United States, according to the report.

Similar charges were also rendered against the so-called "Portland Six," a reported terrorist cell in Portland. A trial has been set for members of that reported group.

The government's move to hold Hawash has ignited a fire storm, especially within Intel. Hawash's former boss at Intel, Steven McGeady, a retired vice president at the chip giant, has launch a Web site dedicated for his release.